SEATTLE, SEPTEMBER 16, 2026 - New research from Expedia Group and PredictHQ finds that a summer calendar of major basketball, baseball, tennis, golf and hockey events, alongside related championship celebrations, was set to generate more than $537 million in visitor spending across the United States. More than 4 million attendees were forecast across the events. 

Research released earlier this year examined the summer’s major soccer tournament and projected more than $8.1 billion in traveller spend across North American host cities between June and August 2026.  

The latest research combines Expedia Group first party travel intent data with PredictHQ real-world context to examine how major sporting events are driving travel demand, hotel bookings and local spending across the country. 

Key findings include: 

Major sporting events led to significant projected visitor spending across the United States 

• Eighteen major events were forecast to attract more than 4 million attendees and generate more than $537 million in projected visitor spending. 

• This included approximately $259 million on accommodation and $233 million on hospitality. 

New York was the hot spot sports fans wanted to travel to 

• Four events in New York attracted more than 3.1 million attendees and were projected to generate $304 million in visitor spending. 

• When the Southampton golf event is included, the wider region accounts for more than $423 million in projected spending. 

Individual events created substantial local impact 

• The highest value event analyzed was the New York tennis tournament, which was forecast to attract 1.1 million attendees and generate approximately $252 million in projected spending. 

• The Southampton golf event was projected to generate approximately $120 million, while the Pennsylvania golf championship added a further $57 million. 

Demand extended beyond host cities 

• Travel intent increased in several surrounding counties, led by Solano County, California, where it rose 180% year on year. 

• Montgomery County, Texas, recorded growth of approximately 95%, while Contra Costa County, California, rose approximately 90%. 

• In Texas, growth was likely supported by demand linked to a major basketball finals series and wider summer sporting activity across the state. Similarly, in California, increases were driven by a regional halo effect around the Bay Area, where Santa Clara hosted six soccer matches.  

• This highlights the growing spillover effect of sports tourism, as visitors increasingly stay and spend in neighbouring destinations rather than host cities alone.

International demand was broad and growing 

• Canada (+20%) ranked as the largest inbound market by travel intent volume, followed by Brazil (+475%), Mexico (+65%), the United Kingdom (+55%) and Japan (+35%). 

• Among the top performing markets, Türkiye (+505%) recorded the fastest growth in travel intent, followed by Brazil (+475%) and Argentina (+365%). Brazil is notable because it was both a top five market by volume and one of the fastest growing.

Together, the findings show that the impact of major sporting events can extend well beyond host destinations, with demand building well ahead of the event itself. In 2025, 56% of Expedia Group hotel bookings near major events were made more than 30 days before check-in, with travelers booking an average of 62 days ahead.

Brandon Ehrhardt, Vice President of Marketing at Expedia Group, said: “Major sporting events are no longer just two-hour spectacles, they’re powerful engines for event tourism. Fans are turning a ticket into a full trip, booking accommodation, dining, entertainment and local experiences around the event. Our data shows the scale of that shift: over the past three years, major sporting events drove triple-digit booking growth on Expedia Group, averaging 160% per event. The opportunity for destinations and travel businesses starts well before the opening whistle and continues after the final one - the opportunity has expanded far beyond the stadium or host venue.” 

Campbell Brown, CEO and co-founder of PredictHQ, said: “Everyone knows a major sporting event will drive demand. The hard part is predicting exactly where, when and by how much. What we’re seeing here is that the impact spreads far beyond the host city, creating opportunities for businesses that can identify that demand early and act before their competitors.” 

For partners across lodging, airlines, car rental and activities, the practical takeaway is to anticipate event demand early and adjust availability and visibility as booking patterns move from early planning to last-minute travel. Hotel partners can access PredictHQ-powered event-demand insights through Rev+ in Partner Central to identify relevant events before demand peaks.  

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Methodology 

The research was conducted by PredictHQ in collaboration with Expedia Group, using PredictHQ real-world context and Expedia Group first party travel intent data. The combined data, collected in July 2026, assesses travel intent, lodging demand, predicted spend, predicted ‘spillover’ spend and demand into nearby regions for host cities, international market shifts. 

About Expedia Group  

Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) is the global travel marketplace with one purpose: to help travelers explore the world, one journey at a time. Expedia Group™ connects travelers, partners, and advertisers through its trusted brands, leading technology, and rich first-party data, delivering predictive, personalized experiences that shape the future of travel. Expedia Group’s ecosystem includes three flagship consumer brands – Expedia®, Hotels.com®, and Vrbo® – the largest B2B travel business, and a premier advertising network. Guided by an experienced and passionate global team, Expedia Group helps millions of travelers in more than 70 countries explore the world with confidence and ease.   

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About PredictHQ 

PredictHQ powers models for some of the world’s largest brands with trusted, explainable real-world context, quantifying and predicting how events shape demand with precision. PredictHQ empowers global organizations to harness the power of AI to overcome demand volatility due to the unpredictability of external events, enabling greater confidence and better-informed decisions to meet customers’ ever-changing needs. Our real-world context platform aggregates data from hundreds of sources and verifies, enriches and ranks them by predicted impact so companies know how an external event will impact their business, giving them the foresight to seize those opportunities and gain a competitive advantage.  

Visit www.predicthq.com